This post is the first in a series about new cycling infrastructure projects in Calgary. Bike Calgary is looking for feedback from people who walk or wheel along these new pathways and bikeway additions to the city’s 5A Network. We hope to use this information to provide valuable feedback on these projects to City Council and administration, and to inform our advocacy on new and future projects.
Construction on the 12 Avenue SW cycle track extension happened in two stages and officially opened in October 2021. This project extended the bikeway from the previous terminus at 11 Street SW west to 19 Street SW, then across 10 Avenue to the Bow River Pathway. See below for the extents in blue.
Source: Calgary Bikeway and Pathway Map – Feb. 22
To learn more about the background of this project, including public engagement reports, check out the project engagement website and project construction website.
We are looking for feedback from the community on how this project does or doesn’t meet the City’s goals for a safe, reliable, and connected 5A network (Always Available for All Ages and Abilities.
5A Network Principles:
- Separate people by their speed
- Where appropriate, provide separation between people wheeling and driving
- Where appropriate, provide separation between people walking and wheeling
- Improve visibility
- Use lighting to improve visibility
- Use signage and pavement markings to identify hazards and enhance navigation
- Make it reliable
- Prioritize snow clearing on the 5A network
- Provide safe, accessible and connected detours when repairing segments of the network
- Be accessible for everyone
- Provide ramps to accommodate safe transitions for people walking and wheeling
- Maintain a smooth surface clear of potholes, depressions or bumps to reduce hazards
- Make it easy to use
- Use visual identifiers like route markers, signs and pavement markings. –
- Use signage and pavement markings to support key decision-making points and show people how to transition between pathways, bikeways and roadways
Here are some options on how to provide feedback. For a refresher, you can check out our video bike-through of the project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXd53-BotEk
- Complete a short survey about the project to help us evaluate whether it meets the 5A Network principles.
- Add your thoughts as a comment to this web post
- Comment on our social media feeds and share with others
- Send us an email with your thoughts on the project to connect@bikecalgary.org
I like it. It ties in nicely to the bow river pathway at the west end. West of 14 the street it feels fairly quiet, but still important to keep your head up for traffic crossing the bike lane. I’ll sometimes ride the back lane of 10th Ave behind the C Train, then take 15 street to the bike lane. I hope these bike lanes bring more people out on bikes but the learning curve for drivers is steep and there are many areas for conflict where drivers/pedestrians don’t register the bike lane or a need for caution when crossing.
I don’t ride this often in the winter, but it’s really an improvement from previous options.
Now what happened to the other end of the 12 Ave bike lane from 3rd to 4th St SE? I use that regularly and it was unceremoniously torn out. The reroute wants you to ride down to 10 Ave then east again to a “mandatory” dismount (according to the newly installed signs!!!) and you end up on the west side of 4th St.
Where was the consultation on this annihilation of bike infrastructure?
I continue to ride on 12 Ave in the left lane, which is so much more efficient.